Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Department Greenway Committee
MEETING MINUTES

Thursday, March 15, 2007 @ 6:00 p.m.
Cary Town Hall, Room 11130
316 N. Academy St
, - Cary, NC 27513

 


Call to Order/Roll Call


Robert Bush called the meeting to order at 6:00pm

 

Members Present – Robert Bush, Candace Burt, Toby Kennedy, Greg Lytle, Bob Morris, Sharon Ramsey, Dana Stockwell, David Wylie

 

Absent – Reid Miner, Laurie Ringaert

 

Staff - Doug McRainey, Joe Godfrey

Guests: Leta Huntsinger, Katherine Williams, Cameron Sweeney, Chris Camp, Michael Pavin,
Ken Bryant, Carol Ashworth

 

Adoption of Agenda
The March agenda was reviewed by the Committee

Action: Greg Lytle made a motion to accept the agenda with the following additions, motion was seconded by Dave Wylie. 

New Business
Spring Daze
Cary Road
Race

 

The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Adoption of Minutes
The minutes for the February meeting were reviewed by the Committee.
Toby Kennedy requested the following clarification on the White Oak crossing at the Western Wake Expressway:  That sufficient width be provided for where the trail will pass underneath the Western Wake Expressway bridge over the White Oak Creek.

Action:  Greg Lytle made a motion to accept the minutes of the February 15, 2007 meeting with the noted clarification, Candace Burt seconded the motion.  The motion carried by a unanimous vote

 

Public Speaks Out
None

Introductions
Staff introduced Chris Camp, Michael Pavin and Ken Bryant from Lose and Associates and Carol Ashworth from Ashworth Environmental Design.

Robert Bush introduced Leta Huntsinger, Cameron Sweeney and Katherine Williams as new greenway committee members whose term will begin with the April meeting.

 

Development Review (Greenway/Land Dedications)

The Park at Westlake – 06-REZ-36
This is an initial zoning for 110.52 acres located in the Park at Westlake subdivision which is south of Optimist Farm Road, east and west of West Lake Road and north and west of the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility.  The initial zoning is associated with a citizen-initiated annexation request. The property was developed in Wake County under their cluster option and is currently under Wake County zoning districts.  Upon annexation into the Town, the zoning of the property must be changed to a Cary zoning district (Residential-12 or Transitional Residential).   

# of Units - 89

Required Dedication – not applicable as developed under Wake County ordinances

Staff Recommendation
Work with original developer to secure 30’ wide greenway easements through common open spaces along the western and eastern edges of this development.

Action: Toby Kennedy made a motion to accept staff’s recommendation, Greg Lytle seconded the motion.

The motion carried unanimously.

 

Cary Park Overlay/Meacham Property – 06-REZ-38

This is a request to re-zone 17.15 acres located northeast of the Carpenter Fire Station Road and Green Level to Durham Road intersection.  The Town’s Morris Branch park site is adjacent to this property on the north side.  Morris Branch designates the common property line between the Meacham property and the Town’s property.  The request is to re-zone the Meacham property from Residential 40 (R-40) to R-40 with a Mixed Use Center Overlay District.  The NW Area Plan Land Use Map recommends the subject parcel for Mixed Use, with no more than half the site designated as non-residential uses.

# of Units – unknown

Required Dedication – unknown

Staff Recommendation
Approval of a payment-in-lieu in place of any required parkland dedication.
Approval for developer to construct to Town standards a multi-use trail along the east side of Green Level to
Durham Road.
Approval for developer to construct a private trail connection across Morris Branch to proposed public greenway located on Town-owned park land north of Morris Branch.
Approval for developer to donate to Town of
Cary a conservation easement over the 200’ average width conservation buffer along Morris Branch.


Action: Greg Lytle made a motion to accept staff’s recommendation, Candace Burt seconded the motion, motion carried unanimously.

 

Manors at Green Level
This is a request to construct curb and gutter and sidewalk along internal streets of a development within the Southwest Area Plan (“the Plan”), rather than the ditch sections and secondary trail systems required by the Plan.  The Town Council has requested that any site plans within the southwest area that deviate from the guidelines specified by the Plan be brought to Council for review. 

The property is located off of Roberts Road just west of NC Highway 55 and the proposed I-540 corridor.  The property is bordered by White Oak Creek on its north side.

# of Units – 74

Required Dedication – 2.11 acres

Southwest Area Plan
The Southwest Area Plan recommends development of secondary trail systems within subdivision, in lieu of sidewalks.

Toby Kennedy objected to a proposed private trail because the Greenway Committee had not had sufficient time to review this trail alignment.


Action: Bob Morris made a motion to accept staff’s recommendation; Dana Stockwell seconded the motion, the motion carried by a vote of 7-1.

 

New Business


Spring Daze
Spring Daze is Saturday, April 28th at
Fred G. Bond Metro Park.  The committee sets up an information booth at the festival and members are asked to sign up for at least a one hour time slot to help staff the booth.  Staff will send out a sign up list.

 

Cary Road Race
The road race is Saturday, 14th at the Koka Booth Amphitheater.  The committee sets up an information booth at the race and members are asked to sign up for a time slot to help staff the booth. Staff will send out a sign up list. 

Sign Plan – Lose & Associates
Lose and Associations presented information on their ideas for the sign plan and asked for the committee’s feedback and ideas.

 

Committee Comments

Robert – Create a hierarchy of trail entrance types; Capital projects at the parks with greenways to create a central access point; Create a universal icon for all greenways, but with a specific indicator on the icon for each greenway.

Toby – Develop a hierarchy of information given on the signs; Smaller trails, include a small regional map to the next two trailheads, larger greenways, larger map, include 2-3 points of interest going left or right and mileage. Keep it simple; Use icons; directional signs should be vertical.

Bob – Greenway rules/regulations signs should be at the trail heads and also along the trails in the event people do not access at the trail head.

Dave – GPS coordinates on the signs.

Dana – Signage on the road to indicate greenways

Sharon – Educational signs (ex: stream mitigation, plant and animal life, erosion control)

 

Adjourn